THE cream of variety entertainment from past decades comes to the Alban Arena this Thursday evening, September 10. The Best of British Variety Tour features Cannon and Ball as the headline act, joined by Tom O Connor, Faith Brown, Bucks Fizz, Roger De Cou

THE cream of variety entertainment from past decades comes to the Alban Arena this Thursday evening, September 10.

The Best of British Variety Tour features Cannon and Ball as the headline act, joined by Tom O'Connor, Faith Brown, Bucks Fizz, Roger De Courcey and Norman Collier.

Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball return to the 2009 tour thanks to huge public demand. One of Britain's most successful comic double acts, their career has spanned 44 years during which they have achieved a string of honours.

Tom O'Connor hosts this year's Best of British tour and is a TV legend who has had a number of his own shows.

Faith Brown is known as the First Lady of impressions after a music career which started at 15 with her brothers in a group called The Carrolls.

Bucks Fizz are best known for winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981. Their worldwide record sales have exceeded 50 million, resulting in three number-one hits and over 20 entries in the British charts.

Roger De Courcey and his alter ego Nookie Bear have appeared several times at the London Palladium including a Royal Command Performance while Norman Collier, cited by Eric Sykes as one of the greatest original comedy talents of the twentieth century, has spent five decades in showbusiness.

The show starts at 7.30pm and tickets are �26.50, available from the box office on 01727 844488.

* American singer-songwriter Steve Earle appears in a solo acoustic concert at the Arena on Monday, September 14.

A gifted songwriter, published author, director, producer and political activist, he was named Country Artist of the Year in 1986 by Rolling Stone magazine and has won Grammy Awards in both 2005 and 2008.

His styles have ranged from country and bluegrass to folk and hard rock and his songs have been covered by the likes of Joan Baez, The Pretenders, The Proclaimers, Emmylou Harris, Percy Sledge and Johnny Cash among others.

Tickets are �25, available from the box office on the number above.

l An American adaptation of a mini-series which was a huge hit in the UK is being shown at the Arena next week.

State of Play concerns the suspicious circumstances that set a rising congressman and a dogged reporter on a dangerous collision course.

US congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) is the future of his political party and as the chairman of a committee assigned to oversee defence spending, he's got all the right connections.

But his prospects of becoming president become increasingly unlikely when his research assistant/mistress is murdered.

Collins, once a close friend to Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe), now a top reporter in the nation's capital, is assigned the task of investigating the politician by his ruthless editor Cameron (Helen Mirren) and recruits fellow reporter Della (Rachel McAdams) in order to track down the truth and identify the killer.

The film can be seen at 1pm and 7.30pm next Tuesday, September 8, and at 1.30pm and 7.30pm this Wednesday, September 9. Tickets for the evening screenings are �6 and for the matinees �4 which includes a cup of tea and biscuits.